Interested in Becoming a Referee?

New referees begin in the spring season of each year and MUST be 14 years old by April 30th of that season. To become a referee, you must be certified through the Mass State Referee Committee, by completing the new referee course (titled: Referee Grade 8 Entry Level).

Select a course/location from the "Course Selection" offerings. Each year there are generally courses offered in Chelmsford in January and March.There are also courses offered throughout the region/state; any interested referee is welcome to attend any applicable session. However, once a class is full, the registration is closed.

To register for a class through MassRef, the site will limit the actual registration to those who are 14 by the date of the class they choose. However, you can still attend the course so long as you are 14 by April 30.But, to register, you need to follow a slightly different process. First, create an account in MassRef; then e-mail the “course administrator” (link available on MassRef). Provide your information and request to be manually registered for the course.

Purchase a uniform (with “yellow” shirt) and necessary equipment.Starter kits are available through various vendors, such as Official Sports (note: there is a link on the MassRef site).You will also need flags (many starter kits include these) and a stop watch.

TYSA will reimburse new referees $150 to help cover the cost of the course and referee uniform. However, this is not reimbursed until the end of the season, as we must ensure you participate in the program.

NOTE: Reimbursements are limited to youth referees (high school age and younger).

To get you started (and comfortable), you will begin with officiating U8 games and serving as an AR for U10. As you gain experience, you will move up to higher level games.

Returning Referees

TYSA will reimburse returning referees $45 to help cover the cost of the recertification course. This will be reimbursed at the end of the spring season, as we must ensure you participate in the program.

NOTE: Reimbursements are limited to youth referees (high school age and younger).

Payments & 2017 Pay Scale

All payments are made twice per season, with first payment for games officiated the first four (4) weeks and the second payment at the end of the season. The Nashoba Valley League (NVYSL) pays all U12 and above games; TYSA pays the U8 & U10 games.

Age Group

Referee

AR

U8

18

15

U10

20

20

U12

30

20

U14

40

25

U16

50

30

U18/19

60

35

Bonus Program: Each season NVYSL hosts a referee meeting. Although attendance isn’t required, it is highly recommended. By attending the meeting, you will receive a “bonus” for each game (U10 & above) you referee. The current bonus is either $2 or $3/game (as determined by NVYSL).

To be paid for U12 and above games, the Referee must complete/submit the “Game Report” within 48 hours after completion of the match. Late reports will be subject to forfeiture of $5.00 of your referee game fee. The Game Report page is accessed directly from your ArbiterSports schedule by clicking the "R" next to the game ID. It can be submitted from any mobile device or a computer.

For U8 & U10 games, you should also complete the Game Report within Arbiter, to become familiar with the process. This is not required, but is highly recommended.

Rules, Regulations, Policies

Everything you need to know can be found on the NVYSL website (www.NVYSL.org). Please visit the “Referee” section and familiarize yourself with the information provided:

NEWS (Updated/rule changes will also be immediately displayed on the Referee page).Spring 2016 Changes include:

“No Heading” rule for U12 and younger

Substitutions at any game stoppage

Rules of Competition

By –Laws (found in the “About” section); refer to Chapter 4, Referee Support.

Included in this section is the NVYSL Zero Tolerance Policy (updated Nov 2015), which clarifies the referees' authority as it relates to the game, coaches and spectators.

Game Schedules and Assignments

TYSA and NVYSL use an online system, Arbiter (www.arbitersports.com), to schedule all games (please note: a unique email address is required for each referee). For new referees, the Referee Coordinator will create your account and “invite” you to join. Once you receive the e-mail to join, you need to access the system and establish your account before any games can be assigned. All referees need to access the system at the beginning of the season to set themselves as “ready” and also set up availability.

For assistance using the system, select the “Support Articles” once you’ve logged into the system. Articles and demonstrations included are: